Tom Dayton Has Escaped
by KaleenMounty
Summary: This story is a combined effort of Kaleen1212 and Mounty Swiss. Kaleen1212 writes Robert Ironside while Mounty Swiss writes Ed Brown. Tom Dayton has escaped and it is up to Chief Ironside and Ed Brown to find him before he hurts someone.
1. Chapter 1

**Tom Dayton Has Escaped**

(Kaleen's lines / _Mounty's lines)_

Chapter 01

Ironside had not been sleeping well. Recent cases had zapped his energy and given him insomnia. His staff had borne the brunt of his mood the past few days. Eve had suggested he try sleeping pills but Ironside would not have it. He hated being dependent on anything.

The wheelchair-bound detective already had to depend on so many things and people for that matter that the thought of taking pills to sleep was deplorable to him.

Eve sat at the computer writing up reports for recent arrests that they had made ... well that Ed had made. She did it quietly so as not to draw the chief's attention to it. If he knew she was writing Ed's reports, he would blow a gasket. Eve was much faster at typing than Ed was and she did not mind doing it for him. She always wrote the chief's reports for him so she did not see why it was such a big deal if she helped out Ed with his.

It was nine-thirty in the morning. Ironside's office traditionally began their day at nine o'clock. Ed had not arrived yet. Nor had he called in. It always put the chief in a sour mood when he did not know where his staff was. "Eve!" the gruff detective shouted.

"Yes, Chief?"

"Has Ed called in yet?"

"No, sir. I have not heard from him."

"Did he mention anything before he went home last night that would keep him from  
being on time this morning?" he asked.

"Not that I can remember, Chief. He probably got hung up in traffic."

"For half an hour?" he growled. Eve just shrugged her shoulders. She could not believe that Ed had not called in. He knew what the chief's moods had been like lately.

Mark came out of the kitchen with a pot and three cups. He set one cup down in front of the boss and poured him a cup of coffee. Mark had tried talking to the chief last night about his moodiness and how it was affecting everyone in the office but Ironside would have no part of it.

Mark knew what the chief needed was another major case that would challenge him. He hated paperwork and most of all he hated the minor petty crimes that Commissioner Randall sent to this office. The chief was protective of his office and its function. He was supposed to be a special consultant to the commissioner. Therefore, he felt the cases that were assigned to his office should be special in nature. Anyone in the department could handle petty crimes. They should never reach this office as far as Ironside was concerned. Yet any crime others in the department could not seem to solve was ending up in his office. That plus the fact he had been having trouble sleeping had put him in a rather sour mood.

He took a sip of the coffee that Mark had just placed in front of him and made a face. "I can't understand what it is that you do to coffee. This is one step above mud."

Mark looked over at Eve who smiled at him as if to say, 'It is going to be another one of those days.'

The door to the office opened.

1.2

_Meanwhile... at 2950 Greenwich Terrace_

_Sgt. Ed Brown was cleaning his coffee mug. He hated coming home in the evening – or, usually, at night – and finding dirty dishes. But he was just not up to meeting Ironside in his present mood before his first cup of coffee.  
Well, perhaps the chief's mood had changed meanwhile, you never knew. But then – no, probably not. The man was great to work with when there was an important case. Yet right now, he was bored, and that was…_

_Bang!  
His security chain was torn, and in Ed's small hallway stood … Tom Dayton. In his right hand, he was holding a crowbar, obviously the one he had used to tear the chain off the doorframe. With his left he had a firm grip on Ed's little old neighbor who also served as a concierge. She was 76 years old and had a key to his apartment for emergencies… the key she had used to open his door. Of course Dayton had forced her to do it._

_"Sergeant Brown, you stay right where you are, or I will kill this nice little lady. You know that I have nothing to lose."_

_"Mr. Brown, you won't let him hurt me, will you? Please, don't let me down like all the others!" begged Mrs. Nettlewood._

_Ed stood there with his favorite mug in his left hand and a dishtowel in his right, and time seemed to be frozen.  
A short time ago he had felt infinite pity for Tom Dayton, when it had become obvious that he was a psychopath and that he would have to stay in a closed institution, maybe forever. Now he was threatening a woman - again.  
Ed had a soft spot for Mrs. Nettlewood. Widowed, she had also lost her son early in an accident. She had brought up her grandson, who was about Ed's age, but he was into drugs. Now she had quasi adopted Ed. She drowned his cactus at any given opportunity, and almost every week she would leave a chocolate bar on his kitchen table. He didn't have the heart to tell her that he didn't like chocolate._

_He knew that he could take on Dayton any time, but not with Mrs. Nettlewood's life at stake.  
Should he toss the mug at Dayton? If it failed, the frail old lady would get hurt.  
He would have to try to talk him into letting her go._

_"Tom, please, you never turned against old ladies. You have a problem with women bosses, and I can understand that. But this is only a harmless..."_

_"You be quiet! Last time I saw you, you cheated me into the nuthouse!"_

_That was true, and Ed had hated doing it to Dayton, but he had not seen any alternative - and today he would again do whatever it would take, be it cheating or violence. He had to get Mrs. Nettlewood free.  
"Yes, Tom, you have a right to be mad at me, but this lady has nothing to do with it."_

_"Well, she has the key to your apartment, so she must have some kind of control over you, right? I'm sure she is as grumpy as my sister!"  
_

_He shook what he was holding in his fist – a handful of thin hair, the color of which was some hue of lilac.  
Mrs. Nettlewood cried out in pain and tried to pull away.  
The bundle of hair gave way and she stumbled towards Ed.  
_

_It was a reflex action to catch her. She clung to him for dear life._

_Enraged, Dayton swung the crowbar at Ed who could not move away. The violent blow broke a couple of ribs. Immediately he collapsed.  
_

_Dayton grabbed Mrs. Nettlewood's arm and pulled her away from the unconscious Sergeant.  
Where the hell did the pig keep his gun and the keys to his car? The old bitch would know it…_

1.3

Commissioner Randall walked down the ramp and, without greeting Ironside and his team, said: "You look as if you have not heard the news yet. Tom Dayton broke out of the mental institution**."**

Ironside jerked his head toward the commissioner. "When did that happen?" he asked him.

"Last night. He used his dinner plate to hit the guard over the head. No one seems to know how he got out. Nobody saw him."

Mark set a cup of coffee down in front of Commissioner Randall. Randall took a sip. "This is good, Mark." Mark grinned at Ironside who raised an eyebrow.

Impatient for more detail, Ironside said, "What time, Dennis?"

"Time for what?"

"Escape, what time did he escape, Dennis?" The impatience was evident in his tone of voice.

"Oh, about ten o'clock last night," Randall answered.

"Why wasn't I called last night?" the chief complained.

"There wasn't anything you could do last night. But today, the case is yours. I want you to find Dayton and return him to the institution."

"Eve, get on the phone and call Dayton's sister. Find out if he has been there," Ironside ordered.

"Yes, sir." Eve immediately moved to a phone.

"And put out an APB on Dayton while you are at it," he added.

"Yes, sir."

Randall looked around. One of the members of Ironside's team was missing. Ed Brown would be essential in finding Dayton. Randall knew he would want to know immediately that he was at large. "Where's Ed?"

"I don't know where Ed is," Ironside growled. "He has not seen fit to call in."

It was now nine thirty-five and he was becoming concerned about his sergeant. It was unlike him not to call the office when he was going to be late.

Eve returned to the table. "Dayton's sister said she has not seen him. She was pretty upset when I told her that he had escaped. The APB is out."

"Bob, you don't suppose Dayton contacted Ed, do you?"

"If he did, I doubt that it was a social call. Eve, call Ed's apartment."

Eve reached for the phone on the table. She dialed Ed's number and waited for an answer.

1.4

_Ed was lying under Ironside's van. No, not just under the van but under a __**wheel**__ of the van. His chest hurt like hell. It was impossible to get enough air into his lungs. Why had Mark parked the van on his ribcage?  
No, this was very unlikely. Mark would not do such a thing. Ironside himself? When he had learned to drive the van nothing had been secure from him. But then he had got the hang of it. He would not park on a person either.  
And if some kind of an accident had happened with his vehicle he would have known and he would have had a plan B to help him. The Chief always had a plan B, for everything. _

_The pressure was almost unbearable. He had to get out from under that van! _

_Then his alarm clock went off._

_Thank God! It was only a bad dream! All he had to do was to wake up altogether and stop the ringing._

_Ed reached out to his nightstand where the alarm was sitting, but it was not there._

_The ringing went on and on._

_Ed opened his eyes. No wonder that he could not find the alarm: He was not lying in his bed, but on the floor of his kitchen. Fortunately there was no van either. But there was still the pain in his chest and the breathing trouble. And his alarm was not ringing, but his cell phone was._

_Suddenly everything came back to him: Tom Dayton was loose again! And the phone was still ringing. He had left it in the pocket of his jacket which was hanging on his coat rack. Why did he always have to clean up? Why had he not just left the jacket on the kitchen table? He would have to get up to answer it, it might be important._

_He needed all his strength to pull himself standing, then he used the wall for support to get to the coat rack. It was only a few steps away, fortunately his apartment was small... but by the time he reached it the ringing had stopped.  
Gritting his teeth he pulled the phone out and checked the number of the caller. It was the Chief's office._

_With his back against the wall he slid down to the floor.  
While he dialed the number of the office he took a look around. His .38 was gone, and so were his car keys. How would he explain this to the Chief?_

1.5

Eve continued listening to the phone ring. Finally, she gave up and hung up the receiver. "Sorry, Chief, there is no answer."

"Try his cell phone," Ironside ordered.

"That was his cell phone. He did not answer," Eve said.

Mark came out of the kitchen. "Something must be wrong, Chief. Ed would have called in by now." Eve and Mark stared at their boss for some direction.

"Eve, get over to Ed's apartment and find out what is going on. Call me as soon as you know," Ironside decided.

Eve grabbed her purse and headed out of the office.

Just as Eve left the office, the phone began ringing. Mark grabbed the phone and said, "Chief Ironside's office."

_"Mark, I'm glad it's you. I'm in trouble." _

_Sanger was too relieved to hear his friend's voice to pay attention to his tone. "Sure. Either you are in trouble or you are in real trouble with the Chief for being late."_

_Ed was not up for any banter right now. "Tom Dayton is loose. He has my gun, my car keys and a hostage, a lady who is very dear to me."_

_Fortunately, it looked like Ironside was engrossed in a heated discussion with Randall, otherwise he would have figured out what this was about, just by seeing Mark's facial expression._

_"I don't want to know how you managed that. We know about Dayton though. Eve is on her way to you. She can drive you here."_

_That was a relief. Ed had already been shuddering at the thought of having to cycle to the office on his old mountain bike. _

_Mark went on, "I'll tell the Chief about your little problem. He won't be happy. Keep your cell phone turned on in case he decides differently."_

_The Commissioner stood up and left, stiff as a poker. He must have lost his argument with Ironside, as usual._

_"Chief, that was Ed."_

_Mark explained what he had learned from him._

_To prevent the Chief from going through the roof because of the gun he pointed out, "Ed must be worried to death because his girlfriend is Dayton's hostage."_

"What are you talking about?" Ironside demanded. "As far as I know Ed doesn't have a girlfriend at the present time."

"That is because you don't give him time for a girlfriend," Mark said. "But it has to be a girlfriend because Ed said she was very dear to him."

Ironside showed his impatience once again. "Just because she is dear to him doesn't mean she is a girlfriend."

"It is probably… "

"Mark!" Ironside growled in frustration. "Who the blazes does Tom Dayton have as a hostage?"

"It could be Ed's neighbor. She is always looking out for him and she has a key to his apartment."

"You mean Mrs. Nettlewood?" Ironside inquired.

"That's the one. Ed sounded pretty upset, Chief."

"Of course he's upset," Ironside thundered. He had to resist the urge to just head over to Ed's apartment. His anger at his sergeant for not calling in had changed to worry. Why did he send Eve instead of just going over there himself?

He pushed himself away from the table and started pacing back and forth. "What in the blazes is taking Eve so long to call in?"

"Chief, she only left five minutes ago. It takes twenty minutes to get to Ed's apartment. She'll get Ed and bring him back here. Why don't you have another cup of coffee?"

"I would if it was consumable," he snarled.

1.6

Eve pulled up in front of Ed's apartment building. She got out of her car and headed up the stairs. She pressed the button to buzz him. After waiting a moment with no response, she pressed the buzzer again.

_Ed heard his buzzer being rung twice but he needed a moment to pick himself up.  
It wasn't the first time he broke a rib or two, but he had never felt that lousy because of it. He would have to make an effort if he wanted to fool Ironside.  
But then – he had to admit that the Chief had been more than understanding about his feelings towards Tom Dayton. He would also understand that he had to go after him this time. Perhaps he would let him help no matter what shape he was in. _

_He couldn't stop thinking about Mrs. Nettlewood. Was she hurt too?  
She was a tiny lady, her head was about at the height of his chest. He had held her in his right arm. Dayton's crowbar had hit the left side of his ribcage. Chances were that he had missed her. But he was still worried about her. She was so frail!_

_Finally he reached the door and opened up. "Thanks for giving me a lift," he said casually, but his voice did not sound convincing even to himself._

_Eve had been briefed by Mark on her way here. She knew her colleague too well to be fooled that easily. "Edward Brown, what are you not telling me?"_

_"Nothing." _

_He noticed that he sounded like the typical five-year-old who broke a window with his football. "Okay, Dayton got me, my ribs are a little sore."_

_"Shall I take you to a hospital?"_

"_No!_"

_Eve's look was anything but friendly. Brown was no better than the Chief: stubborn to a dangerous degree._

_It didn't escape Ed. "Eve, Dayton has my neighbor."_

_The pretty blonde saw the guilt-ridden look in his eyes and her heart melted at once. He had already lost his fiancée because of this man. Now he felt like a miserable failure because he had not been able to protect the old lady. _

_Ed had turned towards his clothes rack. She should not see his face.  
He picked up his jacket without putting it on – he would not have managed that – and then turned to leave, not bothering about the spare key to his door._

_Eve noticed his effort to walk straight. She did not support him, he would have felt embarrassed if she did.  
Of course his knowledge about Dayton's habits would be valuable for the Chief, but more importantly he needed to be involved into the investigation for his own sake. She hoped that Ironside would let him help. Contrary to custom she opened the passenger door of her car for him._

_Twenty minutes later, they walked down the ramp in Ironside's office._


	2. Chapter 2

Kaleen1212 wrote all lines in regular print.

_Mounty Swiss wrote all lines in italics_.

Tom Dayton Has Escaped

Chapter 02

2.1

The tapping of the pencil was driving Mark crazy. He walked over to his boss and took the pencil out of his hand. "Chief, Ed and Eve should be here any minute now. Do you mind? That tapping is driving me up the wall."

Ironside looked at his aide. He took the pencil out of Mark's hand and tossed it on the table. "Ed's apartment is only twenty minutes from here. That's forty minutes. Eve has been gone well over an hour. Where in the blazes are they?"

"They'll be here," Mark said again.

"I know that," Ironside snarled. "But when?"

The door opened to the office. Ironside watched as Ed and Eve walked in and came down the ramp. It looked to Ironside as if his sergeant was protecting his ribs on one side. He looked pale. Ironside became immediately concerned. "Ed, are you alright?"

_"How could I be alright when I let Tom Dayton abduct a helpless old woman?" _

_Immediately he realized that there was far too much pain in his voice, too much emotion for the image of 'calm Ed Brown' he had managed to build up over the years, and above all too much for Ironside to let him take part in this investigation. _

_He knew that the Chief only meant well, that he wanted to protect his people. But he would never forgive himself should something happen to Mrs. Nettlewood. Actually, he would never forgive himself for not protecting her in the first place. And he, Ed Brown, was the one who knew Tom Dayton better than anyone. His knowledge of Dayton's habits might make the crucial difference when it came to taking him down. _

"_Chief, I'm sorry. I know that I deserve being busted down to patrolman for this. But please, let me help find Mrs. Nettlewood. She's gone through so much already…" his voice trailed off. He sat down at the table, unknowingly leaning on his elbows to take the pressure off his ribs. Just for a second he closed his eyes. _

"Are you sure you are alright, Sgt. Brown? Because I need a detective who has his head screwed on right… not one who is feeling sorry for himself. Do I need to call in Lt. Reese or are you capable of working on this case?" Ironside hated scolding Ed but right now with the shape he was in he knew he needed it. He was feeling bad because of his concern for Mrs. Nettlewood. Ironside understood that but he had to snap Ed out this self –pity. And it looked like his injuries were worse than he was letting on. In fact, he was doing a lousy job of trying to conceal it. Maybe he should just order him to the hospital and give him a couple days off.

Ironside knew Ed would fight tooth and nail to stay on this case but right now, he was wondering if he was up to it. "So what will it be, Sergeant? Can you handle this case or not?" Ironside boomed.

_Of course I can! Ed wanted to shout, but he didn't. It would have been an outright lie. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't sure at all. It was difficult enough to meet Ironside's standards when he was at his best, let alone in his present state and with his personal involvement in this case._

_When it came to Tom Dayton, he just could not let go, and this might cloud his judgment, hurt the case and even endanger his colleagues. On the other hand he had investigated Dayton really thoroughly after Anne's death. Would his insight in Dayton's habits and thinking make up for his flaws?_

_This was lasting far too long. He should have answered right away. His hesitation would answer his question – with no. But he was sure that the Chief would understand most of his reasoning. He would understand that Ed was aware of the fact that he was a risk for the team. The Chief would know from experience that Ed was not a slow thinker but only seemed as if he were because he thought things through. He would understand Ed's answer for what it was, an affirmation that he would do his best to contribute whatever he could to free Mrs. Nettlewood and to bring Tom Dayton back into the sanatorium.  
As self-controlled as possible he said, "Yessir."_

_The telephone rang._

"Eve, get that, will you please," Ironside said as he stared directly into the eyes of his sergeant.

"Chief Ironside's office," Eve answered. She listened as the chief looked at Ed Brown trying to read past his sergeant's words. "Yes, I will tell him." Eve hung up the phone. "Chief, Tom Dayton was spotted at his sister's home a half hour ago."

"A half hour ago!" Ironside roared. "Why are we just finding out about it now?"

"I don't know sir."

Ironside looked back at Ed. He softened his voice. "Ed, you hesitated. That is unlike you. Now listen to me. I trust you to help bring Dayton in but I have to know if you are up to it. Despite your trying to keep it from me, I know you are in pain. Your life or that of Eve, Mark or me could be endangered if you really are not up to it. We need to talk to Dayton's sister. If you are up to it, you and I are going right now. We will talk in the van on the way. You have to tell me more about Dayton's habits. Where would he go? Where would he be likely to hide? Now, Ed. I will ask you one more time. Are you up to this?"

_Lord, forgive me this lie. Mrs. Nettlewood is in the hands of this psychopath, Ed thought and answered, "Yessir. Let's go."_

"Well," Ironside shouted as he headed up the ramp, "what are you people waiting for?" Mark moved in behind Ironside's wheelchair and pushed him up the ramp.

Once settled in the van, Mark pulled it into the street and raced down the street toward Dayton's sister's.

"Alright, Ed. What about Mrs. Nettlewood? Does she have any health problems? Such as a heart condition… anything we need to be concerned about that could be aggravated by fear? What about medications that she might be taking that being without could be life threatening? And Tom Dayton… I want you to think like him and tell us anything that could help find him." Ironside looked at his injured detective. He hoped he had made the right decision allowing Ed to continue on this case. At any rate he would be keeping a close eye on him until he was satisfied Ed was being completely honest with him.

"Where would he go that people would not become suspicious of him?" Eve added. "After all, he has Mrs. Nettlewood. She certainly would not give people the impression she was with him willingly."

"What about empty buildings?" Mark asked.

"Well?" Ironside prompted his detective.

_So many questions!_ _"Tom Dayton would..."  
Ed didn't want to think about it. He had hoped that he had put his grief about Anne behind him... Anne Carson, the girl he had loved so much, the girl he'd been about to marry. He had hoped that he could keep the fond memories of her, not the ones after her death when he had investigated Dayton almost night and day. But he knew that he had to._

_He had another go at it, "Dayton thinks small. He would not look for an empty house to hide a hostage. He may put her into a cellar at best, or maybe into a wardrobe, or ..." his voice simmered down to a whisper, and he stared down at his shoes "...or he will just leave her in the trunk of my car."_

"Ed, what about her health? I have to know what we're up against. Does she have heart problems? Is she a diabetic? Does she have any conditions that will be life threatening if she's deprived of medication?" Ironside encouraged his officer.

_To Mark, Ed looked like a sleepwalker. He was thrown back into the state he'd been in when Dayton had been paroled and had assaulted that librarian, Miss Kirk. _

_Ed noticed his concerned look. He had to pull himself together. He would not be of much use if he could not stay focused.  
"She's not a diabetic and she has no special medical problem I know of. She's a little unsteady on her feet – she's 78 after all. What I'm most worried about is Dayton's violence. Last night and this morning he most probably missed the medication he was normally given at the clinic. This makes him particularly dangerous. I don't think that he intends to kill Mrs. Nettlewood, but he may panic or get enraged and then lose control, and we all know what he's capable of when this happens. Miss Kirk survived his attack, but she is a young woman."  
Ed had to swallow hard. Anne had been a young woman too. Very young. Far too young._

"_It doesn't take much to break such a frail old person's neck, and even less to cripple her for the rest of her life." _

"Alright, Ed. We will be at Dayton's in a couple of minutes. Hopefully we can get a lead out of the sister. I know how much Mrs. Nettlewood means to you. We'll find her... and Dayton."

Mark pulled the van in front of the Dayton house. Ironside wheeled onto the lift and was lowered to the ground. He watched Ed Brown out of the corner of his eye for signs his injured detective was unable to hide. He wanted to keep him on the case. No one knew Dayton better then he did. He would not, however, risk Ed's heath.

When they reached the door, Mark pressed the doorbell. Almost immediately, Dayton's sister opened the door. "I already told the police everything I know. You people cannot keep harassing me."

Ironside kept his voice low but authoritative. "We want to talk to you. We can do it here or Sgt. Brown will bring you downtown. It is up to you." He waited without saying anything further to give her time to pull herself together.

She stepped back an opened the door. Ironside put his hands on both sides of the door frame and pulled his chair into the house.

"Would you like something to drink? Coffee, perhaps?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you," Ironside responded. He took advantage of her departure to address his sergeant. "Ed, check around for anything that will give us a clue as to Dayton's whereabouts. Use any excuse you can think of to get into any room in the house you think might help us."

Ironside noticed a pair of men's tennis shoes on the other side of the open door they had just entered. He wheeled over to the door. Picking up one of the shoes, Ironside inspected the sole. It had mud in the grooves. There was another substance mixed into the grooves. It appeared to be red clay. If these were Dayton's shoes and he suspected they were as his sister was not married, then where would he have been where he would pick up both clay and mud? "Ed, take a look at this."

"_These may not be Dayton's shoes. They are about my size, and Tom's feet are a little smaller. They could be his cousin's though. His name is Kyle Dayton. He's a weightlifter. He's not quite as tall as me, but a heavy weight. He used to wear tennis shoes when he worked out. These look like his style. He could have lent them to Tom. Another possibility is that he is or was here. Miss Dayton does not like him. I doubt that she would allow him to leave his dirty shoes here without a good reason..."_

_Dayton's sister entered with a tray with cups and spoons for the coffee._

"_Would you mind if I used your bathroom, Madam?" asked Ed. She shook her head, surprised, not used to being treated politely._

_The bath had been used a short time ago. The shower curtain was wet, and a damp towel was lying on the ground. An orderly lady like Miss Dayton would normally have picked it up.  
Ed bent down to take a close look at it. The movement sent a flash of pain through his chest. He was glad that the door was closed and his boss could not see him, he was so awfully sharp! _

_He found several red hairs on the towel – Kyle was red-haired – and a grey one... no, not grey... more like the color some old ladies seemed to prefer to grey, lilac! _

_When he came back to Ironside, Dayton's sister had left again to get the coffee. _

_In short words Ed explained what he had found. "Kyle may have taken a quick shower and then left in a hurry, leaving his tennis shoes behind. I know where he used to work out seven years ago. There is no red clay, but we may start looking in that area. Kyle had no record back then, yet he didn't like the police. Tom may have someone to help him now."_

Ironside did not like what he was hearing. Finding and catching Tom Dayton was one thing but if Mrs. Nettlewood was being held by two men, that would alter how they handled the situation. And he was working with a sergeant that was injured and trying to keep just how bad that injury was to himself. Yet Ironside knew that he needed Ed's insight on the Daytons. As uneasy as he felt leaving Sgt. Brown on active duty, he would be even more uneasy removing him. He was a better detective injuried that most detectives at a hundred percent.

Dayton's sister walked back into the room. After pouring coffee for the three men, she sat down across from Ironside. "What did you want to know, Chief Ironside?" she asked.

"Do you have any idea where Tom can be found? Before you answer me, please consider that we are trying to help him. He had taken Mrs. Nettlewood as a hostage."

Dayton's sister interrupted him. "Tom doesn't know anyone by that name."

Ironside nodded at Ed, indicating to him to explain who Mrs. Nettlewood was.

_Ed didn't want to hurt Dayton's sister. In his eyes she was a victim as well as Mrs. Nettlewood. Probably she had been suffering because of her brother's illness for years. Therefore he tried to downplay the entire abduction, reporting the most important facts only._

_She listened, obviously disturbed, and asked the one question he didn't want to answer, "You are supposed to be a policeman. Why did you allow him to take the old lady?"_

_Ed wasn't quite sure, but it seemed to him as if his boss was quite interested in his answer as well. He felt his face turn red. "Well, hum I... I didn't exactly allow him to take her."_

_The following silence seemed to go on forever, although in reality it lasted no more than two seconds. Mary Dayton was not the silly old maiden she seemed to be. She knew her brother._  
"_You are not the brutal, hardnosed kind of cop Tom wanted me to believe you were, are you? You must have been a mere slip of a boy when your girlfriend died seven years ago. I cheated myself into believing that Tom could not be violent. I was wrong."_

_Ed nodded, merely visibly. "Was Kyle here with him earlier today?"_

_To everybody's surprise she admitted it right away. "Yes. He wasn't welcome in this house, he was always a bad influence for Tom. He was sweaty after his workout and wanted to take a shower. After that they left in a hurry. I don't know where they were headed."_

"_Did you see what kind of car they used?"_

"_It was a red cabriolet, a modern sports car, a Ferrari maybe." _

_It was definitely not Ed's car. He could not afford that kind of ride, and he doubted that Kyle could with his salary as a car dealer.  
"Sir, shall I put an APB on Kyle Dayton's car or do we try to catch them immediately?"_

_Miss Dayton added quickly, "They left only minutes before you arrived. Mr. Ironside, don't let one of these young men face Kyle alone. He's a bull."_

"We do both, Ed. We will put the APB out on Dayton's car in the van. Let's see if any of our patrol cars spots him. Then call Eve and have her find out if any car lots are missing an expensive vehicle in case the car they are in is not Dayton's. I'll drive. You get on the phone." Ironside barked. "Also check and see if a car matching the description Dayton gave us has been stolen in the last couple hours."

_Ed managed to climb into the van simultaneously with the Chief, that way he would not notice that he had trouble getting in. On his smartphone he quickly checked if Kyle Dayton still lived at the same address as seven years ago. Apparently he did.  
Ed called Eve at the office, "Please check for me if there is a car registered on Kyle Dayton. I'll wait." He also gave her the address._

_She found it immediately. "Yes, he owns a red Ferrari F430 spider, a 2009 model, the license plate is California 4NQB108."_

"_Put out an APB on it, will you? Thanks! And wait – please take a look into thefts of expensive cars."_

_He turned towards his boss. "Sir, I don't believe it. It seems to be his car. But there has to be something wrong. Unless he has inherited a fortune or won the lottery in the meantime, he can't have earned enough money to buy such a car. I wonder if we are dealing with a psychopath holding a hostage and his more or less straight cousin - or with a hostage situation involving a psychopath... Maybe Mrs. Nettlewood is no longer Tom's hostage, but Kyle's..."_

_He was interrupted by the ringing of his mobile phone. It was Eve again._

"_Listen, it's very odd. There were several thefts of expensive cars recently in the area of the address of this Kyle Dayton. How'd you guess that?"_

"_That wasn't my guess, it was one of the Chief's famous hunches. Good work, Eve." He hung up._

"_Sir, I'm not sure if there is a connection, but maybe that's how Kyle got the kind of money he needed to buy his Ferrari, not by selling cars, but by stealing them."_

_Meanwhile they had almost reached the sports center where Ed knew that Kyle had used to work out seven years ago.  
Next to the center was a construction site, where there had been a parking space there was now a building pit. Around it they saw mud... and red clay of the kind Ironside had found on Kyle's shoes!  
Ed opened his car door. A shot rang out. The right rearview mirror went into splinters. _


	3. Chapter 3

kaleen1212 wrote all Ironside's lines and actions. All her written lines will appear in regular print.

Mounty Swiss wrote all Sgt. Ed Brown's lines and actions. All her written lines will appear in italics.

Tom Dayton Has Escaped

Chapter 03

3.1

Knowing his sergeant's motion was impaired by injury and concerned he would not or could not react fast enough, Ironside reached over, put his right hand around his neck and pulled him toward the driver's seat. He could not be concerned about the possibility of causing him pain if his life was in danger.

Mark had wasted no time from the back seat either. While the chief was protecting Brown, he reached around each side of the chief's chair and unlocked the brakes. Once the wheels were again mobile, Mark pulled his chief backwards into the safety of the solid sides of the van.

Ironside glanced at Brown. As he expected he did not seem to be reacting. Perhaps he had felt the pain in his, what Ironside figured, broken ribs. "Mark! Help Ed into the back," he shouted.

Mark pushed his way past Ironside and grabbed Brown under both arms and dragged him into the back of the van.

"Obviously, the welcoming committee is here," Ironside growled. "Snap out of it, Sgt. Brown!" he snarled. "You said you were up to this!" Ironside worried that the detective was indeed not up to this at all. Perhaps, he was far more injured then even he had detected. Was he being fair to Ed by allowing him to continue and was sending a detective that was reacting so slowly a good idea? One thing was for sure, he was not sending him out there alone.

Ironside pulled his service revolver out of his suit coat pocket and shoved it at Mark. "Take this. Go with Ed."

"But Chief, you will not be able to protect yourself," Mark protested.

"I won't need to protect myself if you two stop whoever is shooting at us. Now go, both of you!" he snarled.

"_Snap out of it, Sgt. Brown!" The words did not make any sense. They swirled around somewhere in the red fog Ed was drifting in. Strong hands yanked him. Probably it was for his own good. "Snap out of it, Sgt. Brown!" It must have been the Chief's voice. Therefore it had to be important. Ed shook his head, hoping that he could clear out that fog. Mark said something too. He didn't really understand it. He had to concentrate on keeping that vicious pain in his chest under control. "Snap out of it..."_

_His feet touched the clayey ground. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a large shadow approach with lightning speed... and then he snapped out of it. This was Kyle Dayton, thirty pounds heavier than seven years ago and with a menacing expression on his face. Mark had already turned around the corner of the van, away from the line of fire, and Ironside could not see Ed either since he was standing in the blind spot. _

_On a normal day Ed might have been able to take Kyle on. He was well-trained and what he lacked in muscle he made up for in brains and in speed. Today he didn't stand a chance. _

_Kyle pushed him backwards to the side of the van, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Dazed, Ed was unable to prevent the following disastrous chain of events._

_Obviously Kyle didn't consider the detective's 170 pounds any weight at all. He shouldered his tall frame and ran away, behind a truck which was parked alongside the van. He threw him into the back of __an SUV, almost onto Mrs. Nettlewood's legs. _

"_Ironside, I have your boy!" he shouted. "Looks like he isn't your best man anymore, unless the rest of your men are worse than him, of course! __And Tom is holding a gun to that old lady's head – Brown's gun, by the way. We will leave now with both of them, but as soon as we get a glimpse of you or your van we'll kill one of them. You'll get our ransom demand real soon."_

_Ed was just alert enough to realize that he had failed both Mrs. Nettlewood and the Chief. He had thought that he would be able to handle things, but his slow reaction had landed them in even worse trouble now._

_He heard an unknown voice coming from the driver's seat. "Good job, Kyle, even better than our original plan. I assumed the worst when first your cousin and then smartass Ironside's van turned up, but this may be even more lucrative than to hotwire cars." _

_Kyle jumped into the rear of the SUV, hitting his victim's ribs by mistake. Ed cried out and lost consciousness._

_Mark saw a yellow cab, a Ford Escape hybrid - one of dozens – vanish around the next corner. The license plate was covered with a rug. _

Ironside grabbed the police radio. "Put out an APB on a yellow Ford Escape. License number unknown. Suspects, Tom Dayton and his cousin, Kyle Dayton are holding Sgt. Ed Brown and an elderly woman, Emma Nettlewood. Locate but do not apprehend. They were seen leaving the vicinity of Werner and Clarkson. All units in the area, close down the area. If the Ford Escape is spotted, contact me immediately. Mark, get moving! Let's see if we can find that Escape."

"Chief, it went in that direction," Mark said and pointed toward the west. He started up the van and sped down the road.

"I saw where he went! Now step on it!" Ironside shouted.

They continued combing the area but didn't get even a glimpse of the Ford Escape.

Ironside picked up the phone and dialed his office. "Eve, find out which one of the taxi companies owns a yellow Ford Escape. I want a license number. Call me back."

3.2

Mrs. Nettlewood softly touched Ed Brown's cheek. The police sergeant was still unconscious. She knew that he was hurt because he had been trying to protect her. Now he looked like he was in even more danger then she was.

"Get away from him," Kyle Dayton yelled.

"He needs a doctor," she protested.

"Well, he isn't going to get one," Kyle answered. "The minute we show up at a hospital, Ironside would be informed and Tom would be returned to the loony bin."

"I am not going back there," Tom said. "Brown is the reason I was sent there in the first place."

"If Sgt. Brown helped put you in there, then that is where you belong," Mrs. Nettlewood told Tom Dayton. "From what I have seen, he was right."

"Shut up, lady!" Tom screamed at her. "You are all the same. You think you know it all, but you don't. Look at the trouble you are in."

"You will be in a lot more than I am, young man, when Chief Ironside catches up with you."

Tom was about to say something when Kyle put up his hand. "That is enough, both of you! I am only going to tell you one more time. Get the hell away from Brown or I will let Tom move you."

Mrs. Nettlewood moved away reluctantly. She noticed Tom snickered as he watched her obey his cousin. "What are you going to do to us?"

"That depends on Ironside," Kyle answered. "Depends on just how badly he wants his boy back."

"Ironside is not going to stand for this," she said.

"He doesn't have a choice. He will do exactly what he is told to do. You see, if he doesn't then we will send you to him in a bag. That will encourage him to behave himself in order to keep Brown alive." Kyle looked around. This was it, the road he wanted. "Tom, turn down this road."

Tom did as he was told. He turned down the secluded road and continued to whatever destination Kyle was leading them to.

3.3

_When Ed regained consciousness he wished he hadn't. _

_Just barely he managed to suppress a groan. Mrs. Nettlewood was sitting next to him. She had to be scared to death. He had to be her pillar of strength. So he just gritted his teeth and tried to carry it off well. _

_He tried to sit up. No easy task._

"_Stay put, young man. Stop playing hero, at least until you know how to get us out of here!" Her voice didn't sound as usual, much more business-like, almost metallic._

_Ed was confused. She had always seemed so gentle. And it was enough that Ironside apparently could read his mind. Not this old lady too!_

_He was lying on a stony ground – the floor of a cellar. It was dimly lit by a small light well. Mrs. Nettlewood was sitting on a sack of potatoes. _

"_You are the famous Chief Ironside's man, which means that you have to be smart. Forget about the door, it's locked. So – what shall we do?" _

_Being the famous Chief Ironside's man also meant a lot of leg-, paper- and routine work while Ironside did most of the thinking. There was nothing he would have liked better right now than to let the Chief do the thinking._

_Had he found his car yet? Maybe it provided a clue about where they were being held hostage. Another unanswered question was why Kyle had used his cousin's shower instead of the gym's. Was this maybe only a pretext to get into her house? Had he stolen anything there? Money? Credit cards? If so, he hoped that Mrs. Dayton would report it to the Chief. Every detail might help him find them._

_A short metal tube, maybe a leftover from a telephone installation, caught his eye. He let his gaze wander around. On the shelves in front of him he saw what the inhabitants of the house used for gardening. Since he wasn't up to turning around he asked, "Please tell me what's on the shelves behind me."_

"_Just the normal stuff, food supplies mostly."_

"_Is there any sugar?"_

"_Men! Of course there is some sugar."_

_Ed explained to her what she had to fill the tube with. She didn't question him for a second. He was "Chief Ironside's man" after all._

_A piece of his shoelace had to serve as a fuse._

_In the absence of a hammer Ed used a stone to flatten the ends of the tube. The movement made him break out in a cold sweat.  
Then Mrs. Nettlewood had to place the tube on the door lock. _

_She shook her head. "And I assumed that only crooks knew how to construct a bomb!"_

_It made Ed almost smile. Being Chief Ironside's man also meant that one had to know the crooks' tricks. _

_He managed to drag himself behind the potato bag for minimal cover, suppressing the rising nausea. He had to admit to himself that he would not be able to flee, but at least Mrs. Nettlewood might get away. He gave her his lighter._

"_You light the fuse then you move behind my back. When the door is open you run."_

"_You don't expect me to leave you here, Sergeant, do you?!" She was quite offended. _

"_It's my fault __if __we are here." He had to interrupt himself to catch his breath. "I lied to the Chief about my condition. Now I need you to get help. I would not be fast enough, I'm afraid."_

_He doubted that he would be able to stand up at all, but she didn't need to know that._

_She suspected it anyway. _

_She sounded now as soft as she usually did. "If it wasn't to protect me in the first place, this entire ordeal would not have happened. And without you Mr. Ironside might not have found me in time. I will try to call him."_

_The explosion was softer than expected. Only a few pieces of wood and other debris rained down on them, but when she pulled on the door it gave way. _

_Throwing only a short look back at her protégé, she left. She didn't want him to see the tears of compassion in her eyes. _

_When she was out of sight Ed finally allowed himself to relax. What mess had he gotten himself into this time?! Ironside would eat him alive for that. That was – if he found him alive._

3.4

Mrs. Nettlewood walked through the woods. She wasn't sure she did the right thing leaving Sgt. Brown behind. She knew he was badly injured. Worry over what the Daytons might do to him when they found out he helped her escape made her sick to her stomach.

She could not think about that right now. She had to find a way out of the woods. If only she could reach the main highway, she might be able to flag down someone who could get her to a phone. She had to reach Chief Ironside before the Daytons decided Sgt. Brown was more of a liability than an asset.

Emma looked all around her. If only she had some idea as to where she was. Sheer determination kept her going. She had to reach Ironside. Sgt. Brown's life could depend on it. So for now, she would just continue through the woods in hopes of locating the highway.

3.5

"How in the flaming hell could two vehicles just vanish into thin air?" complained Ironside.

"Chief, they are out of the area by now. There is not much use in continuing this." Mark knew his boss was upset with himsef for allowing Ed to continue. He knew what he was thinking. He allowed Ed to stay on the case because he had assured him that he was okay. Mark thought when the chief found him, he would be in more trouble with him than he was with the Daytons.

Ironside looked out the window, glancing down every side street looking for a glimpse of the yellow Ford Escape. It was nowhere in sight. He grabbed the vehicle's police radio. "This is Ironside. All units report in." He and Mark listened to report after report. No one had seen the yellow Ford, let alone who was driving it.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Ironside complained. "Let's get back to the office and see what Eve has found out."

Mark turned the van around and headed back into the city. "On second thought, Mark, I want you to head back to Dayton's sister's house."

"What for?" Mark inquired.

"I want to talk to her."

"I thought we just did," Mark said, confused.

"Just head back there," Ironside barked.

The phone in Ironside's van rang. Ironside grabbed it and growled, "Ironside."

"Chief, it's Reese. We got a lucky break. A young couple was driving down a road on the outskirts of San Francisco when a yellow Ford Escape passed them. It was traveling at a rather high rate of speed. The young man driving the car said that a rug flew off the back of the Escape and hit their windshield. The driver of the escape did not stop. The young man's wife was so upset she memorized the license plate number. It was GRT67328. They called it in to the police."

"Who owns that vehicle?" Ironside asked.

"Man's name is Scott Sinskey."

"The name is familiar," Ironside said, reaching into his memory.

"You arrested him about five years ago," Carl reminded him.

"It was a gang war, wasn't it?" Ironside recalled.

"That's right, Chief. It was a war between the Barracudas and the Tigersharks."

"If I recall, he was a member of the Barracudas. He stabbed another young man from the Tigersharks."

"That's correct," Carl confirmed.

"But didn't he get ten years? We hit him with a lot more charges than just stabbing that kid."

"He was released on parole six months ago for good behavior."

"Well, he is not behaving now, Carl. If I recall, we closed down their headquarters. Do we have any idea where the Barracudas are now?" Ironside inquired.

"Not in all certainty, Chief. However, Dayton, Kyle Dayton that is, owns a house that has not been lived in for seven years. It is located on a side road just off the road where those kids saw the Ford Escape. 3687 Dunlap Road."

"Can we tie Kyle Dayton to the Barracudas?" asked Ironside.

"That was Eve's department," Carl told him. "She was looking into that as well as the theft of those rented cars."

"Alright, Carl, good job. Update that APB to include the license number of the vehicle. And put one out on Scott Sinskey as well. I want him picked up for questioning. Is that address within our jurisdiction?"

"Yes, Chief, it is," Carl confirmed.

"I want two unmarked vehicles with four plainclothes cops in each one of them to meet me down the road from that entrance and, Carl, I want you to join them."

"I'm on my way. And the APB on both have already been taken care of." Reese hung up the phone.

No sooner had Ironside hung up the phone rang again. "Ironside."

"Chief, it's Eve. Your hunch was right. Kyle Dayton is most definitely tied to the Barracudas. Both Dayton and Sinskey were members of the same health club."

"But can we prove they knew each other?" Ironside inquired.

"Yes sir, we can. Sinskey's yellow Ford Escape came from a car lot near Dayton's home. We had it traced. It was sold from that car lot to a man by the name of Allen Dexter. He owns a car lot in Sausalito. It was reported stolen from that car lot. It was then registered in the name of Kyle Dayton. Dayton then sold it to Scott Sinskey."

"How in the blazes does a stolen vehicle get registered with the state of California?" Ironside asked.

"I'm coming to that," Eve said. "It was registered at the California department of motor vehicles by an employee. Her name is Helen Swainson. In checking further she has registered over two dozen stolen vehicles."

"Alright, Eve, have her picked up for questioning."

"Chief, there is something else you need to know."

"Allen Dexter and Helen Swainson are both members of the Barracudas," Ironside surmised.

Surprised, Eve said, "That's right. How did you know?"

"Apparently the Barracudas got out of the gang business and into the car business. I want an APB put out on all members of that gang."

"We have some names, Chief, but we do not know how many gang members there are."

"Pick up the ones we know about. Once we get them talking, we'll find out who the rest of them are."

"I'll get right on it."

"Good work, Eve." Ironside hung up the phone.

As they approached Dunlap Road, Ironside noticed somebody walking by the side of the road. "Mark, slow down!"

Mark pulled the vehicle to a stop. Ironside got into the lift and lowered his chair to the ground. "Mrs. Nettlewood, are you alright?"


End file.
